Catalan economists are currently more concerned about infrastructure than fiscal deficit, according to the winter 2026 Economic Situation Survey by the College of Economists of Catalonia. Problems in the functioning of Rodalies, the derailment that occurred on line R-1 at the beginning of the year, and the fatal accident on R-4 have led to a 13-point increase in the proportion of professionals who warn of the situation and consider it a priority issue to address. This is the opinion of 45.1% of respondents, above the 44.6% for the fiscal deficit with the State, which until now was the main concern of this professional group and has now moved to second place.

Ninety-one percent of Catalan economists, who held their annual conference in Barcelona, ​​believe that Catalonia must change its production model to guarantee its competitiveness, according to data from the College of Economists announced by the organization's dean, Carles Puig de Travy. The challenges are overcoming low productivity, infrastructure deficiencies, excessive bureaucracy, and a lack of structural reforms. At the same conference, the Catalan Minister of Economy, Alícia Romero, on the same day that Catalonia's growth figures for the third quarter were released (0.7% quarter-on-quarter and 2.4% year-on-year), stated: "Competitiveness must generate wealth that is shared socially and territorially, otherwise..."